Viliami Mangisi (60) was sentenced to 12-years six-months imprisonment for possession and attempting to export 1.9 kilograms methamphetamine, when he was arrested at Fua‘amotu International Airport, in 2018. The offender was a mastermind and a deterrent sentence was required “to protect society from offenders who participate in and promote this evil trade," said the judge.

A young couple received a two-years fully suspended prison sentence for theft, when they stole Tongan artefacts valued at $62,000 pa'anga from the wife's grandmother in Kolofo'ou. None of the artefacts were recovered after being sold to a vendor at Talamahu Market.

A Sri Lankan national Vaseeth Samsudeen has been ordered to leave Tonga or face deportation back to Sri Lanka. He received a fully suspended sentence, after using a forged French passport in Tonga earlier this year.

Lord Tu'ivakano will now proceed to trial on 14 counts relating to the issuance of Tongan passports. This was after, a ruling today by Lord Chief Justice Michael Whitten, who found there is sufficient evidence to commit him for trial on eight out of the nine charges that the former Prime Minister challenged (the other six charges were not challenged).

A verdict is expected this week in a jury trial against Viliami Mangisi (59) charged in relation to the seizure of 1.9 kilograms of methamphetamine at Fua‘amotu International Airport. The trial is underway at the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court.

Piliote Uasike (23) was sentenced to two-years nine-months imprisonment for possession of illicit drugs and bribery of a police officer, by a Supreme Court judge who warned drug dealers to expect punishment.

Tonga’s National Qualifications and Accreditation Board (TNQAB) exceeded its authority when it imposed sanctions, while ‘Atenisi had an application for accreditation pending. In a Supreme Court judgment this week, Lord Chief Justice Whitten said that while the Act enables the board to make policies - it cannot create or confer on itself any power, which is not provided for by the Act or which contravene fundamental rights.